Researchers Crack Auto Security Codes

The Daily Auto Insider: A research team at Johns Hopkins University says it discovered that the "immobilizer" security system developed by Texas Instruments could be cracked using a "relatively inexpensive electronic device."

A research team at Johns Hopkins University says it discovered that the "immobilizer" security system developed by Texas Instruments could be cracked using a "relatively inexpensive electronic device," the Associated Press reported.

The radio-frequency security system is used in more than 150 million new , and , the story said. It uses a transponder chip embedded in the key and a reader inside the car. If the reader does not recognize the transponder, the car will not start, even if the key inserted in the ignition is the correct one.

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The Johns Hopkins team, which was funded by Bedford, Mass.-based RSA Security Inc., recommended distributing free metallic sheaths to cover the radio frequency devices when they are not being used.

Texas Instruments was recently given demonstrations of the team's code-cracking capabilities, the story said, but the company maintains its system is secure.